What happened when this film was developed?

ornate_wrasse

ornate_wrasse

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I just got back the color film I shot in Jacksonville, Florida and St. Augustine, Florida back from Precision Camera in Austin, TX.

I sent them 3 rolls for development. Two rolls were Velvia 50 in 120 size film and one roll was Ektar 100 in 35mm size film. No problems with the old, outdated Velvia film. However, the fresh Ektar film, just purchased at Freestyle, came back with one of the frames looking very strange. Here it is:

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The frames on either side of this one came out just fine. Here is virtually the same image. It was the next frame in the roll:

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The film was shot using my M6. I've never seen anything like it before with film run through this camera.

Does anybody know what happened?

Hurry, quick, take a look, and then I can delete the image from my pbase gallery! ;) I'm embaressed to display it :D

Thanks.

Ellen
 
I had a similar type "fog" on B&W film when my fixer was too old, it didn't clear the film properly. I don't know if this could be the same thing happening at that one spot though on colour film...
 
If it's only on that frame and nowhere else (including the surrounding negative area), it's a camera issue. Light leaks or shutter.
 
If you developer your films and found that you had un-even developing or light leak or foggy or scratches, what you will do? And assuming that you can't re-shoot same frames again.
 
I get the same thing with my M2 every 5 rolls or so a frame will come out like this. I'm assuming it's a shutter issue as it doesn't happen with my M6. You would always send the photo to Youxin Ye and see if your camera needs servicing to stop it from happening. I know it's going to cost me at least $200, so I'm waiting until it gets worse to send it in. The clean edges on the streak would indicate to me it's mechanical as a chemical problem would not create that clean of a line. A possible shutter lag/stick along the track might be the problem, but I can't tell for sure.
 
ChrisN said:
Light leak under the shutter - see this thread.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105567
Click to expand...

Thank you Chris! I checked out the thread and concluded that it happened when I changed lenses in very bright light. I was actually trying to shoot the same scene from three different perspectives, hence the reason I was changing lenses. Alas, it was in Jacksonville in mid-day in July, so the sun was very bright.

Now, the larger question is: should I send in the camera for a CLA? I don't think that I will be changing lenses in bright light again, if ever.

Thanks again for your help.

Ellen
 
One way to avoid it might just be to stick to changing lenses in less light.
I try to avoid even taking out or loading films in bright light.
 
I have heard it said that most Leica M's will exhibit some leakage if you change lenses in direct sunlight and allow the sun to shine directly into the front opening of the camera (like if you change your lens mid-day with the body tilted up). I don't know if this is true, but just in case I have always left the camera pointed downward or away from the sun when swapping out lenses, and I have never had any trouble at all.

By the way, how is that Domke working out for you? Did you take it on the trip?
 
ornate_wrasse said:
Thank you Chris! I checked out the thread and concluded that it happened when I changed lenses in very bright light. I was actually trying to shoot the same scene from three different perspectives, hence the reason I was changing lenses. Alas, it was in Jacksonville in mid-day in July, so the sun was very bright.

Now, the larger question is: should I send in the camera for a CLA? I don't think that I will be changing lenses in bright light again, if ever.

Thanks again for your help.

Ellen
Click to expand...

Hi Ellen. I'd wait and see if you start to get similar light leakage showing in normal use. We all know that we need to avoid pointing the camera directly at the sun (if we have cloth shutter curtains, and especially if the lens is focused at infinity) to avoid burning holes in the shutter. Usually a brief exposure to the direct sun, as you might get in the course of a walk around with random movements of the camera, is not a problem. If you get to the point of regularly getting a few frames like this on a roll, even when you have not changed lenses, then it would be time to consider having the camera serviced. My M4 had reached this stage, and I've sent it off to Sherry K for repair and servicing.

All the best - cheers!
 
Turn you back to the sun, or find shade, and change lenses as fast as you can. If in doubt count that frame as a waster and plan to make the next photo on the next frame. I don't think its worth a CLA, you would need to add an awful lot of wasted frames together before you came close to the cost.

Steve
 
250swb said:
Turn you back to the sun, or find shade, and change lenses as fast as you can. If in doubt count that frame as a waster and plan to make the next photo on the next frame. I don't think its worth a CLA, you would need to add an awful lot of wasted frames together before you came close to the cost.

Steve
Click to expand...

+1 what Steve says!
 
ChrisN said:
We all know that we need to avoid pointing the camera directly at the sun (if we have cloth shutter curtains, and especially if the lens is focused at infinity) to avoid burning holes in the shutter. Usually a brief exposure to the direct sun, as you might get in the course of a walk around with random movements of the camera, is not a problem.
Click to expand...

How much of a problem is this? I read about it before I got my CLE and usually carry it with the cap on. Problem is, the cap feels like it's going to escape very easily (and a new one would of course be almost impossible to find) and I would prefer not to have to have it on all the time. Is setting the lens to f/16 and perhaps also closest focus enough to prevent burning holes in the shutter?

Also, should I take care not to put the (low) sun in the frame, that is, could it hurt the camera even at f/16?

(sorry for the semi-OT)
 
As someone in another thread recently explained to me, infinity is actually a pretty safe distance to leave the lens at, to avoid frying holes into the cloth. The curtains are few mm in front of the film, after all, so to get the sun in focus on a curtain, the lens must travel out that much from the infinity position.

It depends on the focal length of the mounted lens but with a 50, you end up with roughly 4 ft being the most dangerous setting.
 
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